What evidence suggests that vertebrates are more closely related to echinoderms than are any other invertebrate phyla?

Option C, shared DNA sequences

Explanation:

Complete question -

What evidence suggests that vertebrates are more closely related to echinoderms than are any other invertebrate phyla?

- shared patterns of development

- shared morphology

- shared DNA sequences

Solution

Vertebrates have true backbone while invertebrates lack true backbone. Among the invertebrates, the echinoderm phylum is closely related to vertebrates as the echinoderm possesses notochord (similar to backbone) during their early stage development which disappears later.

Through the genomic sequence studies it has been found that echinoderms are similar to vertebrates in many ways. Echinoderms have diverged from deuterostomes along with human and hence pose some genetic similarity which can be devised through study of common DNA sequences

Hence, option C is correct